GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn -- Don't let the age on his driver's license fool you, International Gymnastics Hall of Fame Coach Bela Karolyi still has an energy level that most of us can only wish for.
Larger than life, and not just because he stands 6'2" in a sport that features diminutive athletes, Karolyi comes to life whenever he talks about his sport, and on this occasion, the 2011 Visa Championships, which will be held at the Excel Energy center.
Simmering at the onset, Karolyi literally comes to life when he's selling his sport. The eyes sparkle, the hands gesture, and you start to understand why an outstanding lineage of gymnasts fear failing Karolyi much more than they do performing on a given apparatus.
Bela, along with his wife Marta, have just had their training center in Houston, Texas, designated as the official training center for USA Gymnastics, and why not? The duo has produced an impressive list of U.S., world, and Olympic Champions, that it's clear that the path to Gymnastics greatness runs through the Karolyi's backyard.
How does he do it? And, how does he feel about competing against countries who are accused of using gymnasts who should not be eligible to compete? We asked Bela those questions and more, then stood back and watch the legend grow, right before our very eyes.
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